WrestleMania VI Mixed Tag Match

[The Brain]

Most people that visit the Old School section like to discuss past WrestleMania events. We talk about what we liked, what we didn’t like, what should have happened, what shouldn’t have happened, and so on. Sometimes I read about certain matches that a lot of people didn’t think should take place for one reason or another but I thought they were perfectly fine. I’m going to start a few threads to discuss these matches individually to try to get some different points of view. Naturally the matches people like to discuss are main events but to kick this series off this series I’ll go with something else. Let’s discuss the mixed tag match from WrestleMania VI.

The match was Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire vs. Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri. Many people think it should have been Rhodes vs. Savage one on one, and while I understand that viewpoint I think the mixed tag was the way to go. This feud involved the women just as much as the men. In fact the feud started between the women before the men got involved. It wouldn’t have seemed right to just have them on the outside while the men wrestled each other. Also this was the first ever mixed tag match the WWF ever had. Ever since 1998 mixed tag matches have been fairly common so they really haven’t been a big deal in years. However, in 1990 this was a unique idea and people were really curious to see how this would go down. A mixed tag match in 2000, no big deal. A mixed tag match in 1990, a WrestleMania worthy storyline. Besides, it’s not like a one on one match between Rhodes and Savage would have set the house on fire. They were great performers and I’m sure they would have put on a good match but I don’t see it being a classic. Would it have been a better match in terms of in ring action than the mixed tag? Of course it would have, but I don’t think it would have been good enough to sacrifice the uniqueness of the mixed tag.

Where do you stand on this match? Would you have preferred a singles match or do you think the mixed tag match was the way to go?

Please note this thread is only to discuss this one match. There will be other threads for other matches. Posting about other matches will be off topic and infracted for spamming.

 

[Nadeem Ahmad]

It was definitely appropriate to go with the mixed match, letting Sherri fight at Wrestlemania, putting forth a big moment for women. Also, Rhodes was really lame to watch sometimes, so taking the attention away from him was one of the best moves possible. It's not like she was a bad wrestler herself, but Sapphire obviously was. Still, less of Dusty Rhodes, or him being a lesser fraction in the match was a plus.

 

[oneofakind318]

I was fine with the mixed tag. It wasn't a classic or anything but it made sense on several levels and tied everything together nicely. It allowed the face team to go over without Savage having to take the pin. It allowed Miss Elizabeth to get her payback in a believable way. It worked well I thought.

 

[HBsam31]

If you remember Brain you and I briefly discussed this match when I was relatively new to these forums. There was a thread titled Who fell the furthest from main eventing one mania to the next. I mentioned Savage from 5 to 6 and you corrected me, and gave me facts about this mixed tag match that made me see Savage's spot on this card was not as bad as I had thought. I am curious to see if you remember that? Anyway on to the thread. After going back and watching this Mania again about 6 months ago I realized that I quite enjoyed this match. I was unaware until the last time we talked about this match that it was the first ever mixed tag so that definitely adds a bit to it. Sherri was always entertaining to me, and as the poster above said it allowed Liz to get her revenge on Savage as well. Looking back I think they went the right way with the mixed tag. Savage and Rhodes by themselves at that point would have been no more interesting than the mixed tag. The women who were a big part of the feud would have been on the outside anyway so it made sense to involve them in the actual match.

 

[thebarber]

saved Savage getting beat clean again after dropping the belt to Hogan the year before. Was an entertaining outing and Savage playing the coward hiding behind his woman worked well in this match. Sherri was a great wrestler in the womens division, this also was a way to get her a Mania match, as she never got one previously. This match was fine and should not be challenged about its spot on the Mania 6 card. Santana vs Barbarian though...............................................

 

[sdelfin]

saved Savage getting beat clean again after dropping the belt to Hogan the year before. Was an entertaining outing and Savage playing the coward hiding behind his woman worked well in this match. Sherri was a great wrestler in the womens division, this also was a way to get her a Mania match, as she never got one previously. This match was fine and should not be challenged about its spot on the Mania 6 card. Santana vs Barbarian though...............................................

Exactly. The match was designed to protect Randy's character. He'd be getting involved with the Warrior at the year's end. But it wasn't just Wrestlemania 5 that led to them having to rebuild Savage. Savage had just had a big TV rematch with Hogan on The Main Event on NBC in February of 1990. It was the match in which boxing champion James "Buster" Douglas, who just recently defeated Mike Tyson, was a special referee.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

No problem with the match. It had a good build and Dusty and Sapphire were over enough to warrent them involoved wth Savage who was the bigget heel the WWF had around that time.

Also, not so sure how much Sherri had done in the WWF up to that point, but with her history in the compny she deserved that moment.

 

[gk11973]

Sad to think that everyone associated with this match is dead now, except Dusty. Sherri, Randy, Sapphire, Elizabeth all gone. I liked it as it was, it was no wrestling classic, but it was fun. And they had their singles matches later that year at SummerSlam (well Sapphire no showed hers) after the feud had run its course.

 

[Judah's Lion]

call me crazy, but i never understood the association between dusty and sapphire. i thought the angle between dusty and savage made sense, and even bringing in women, whether the women started the feud or became involved later, made sense. as such, the first-ever mixed tag match, at mania no less, makes sense. my only complaint is sapphire.

i totally understand the logic of the brain. i'd be crazy to disagree with him, right? but still, on a personal note, i would have preferred a singles match between the dusty and savage if it meant sapphire stayed out of the squared circle. the compromise i'll make in my argument is that i'd keep the mixed tag match if sapphire was replaced in the whole storyline with someone that could actually wrestle.

the three people i really felt sorry for in this whole match were sherri, gorilla monsoon and jesse ventura. they had to sell that "offense" as if it were actually effective. poor suckers.

long answer short, i'm gonna go against the grain and say that i'd have preferred the singles match. i've watched the mixed tag match at mania six many times and never once understood the association of sapphire the person. the character, yes, but the actual person, no.

 

[The Brain]

If you remember Brain you and I briefly discussed this match when I was relatively new to these forums. There was a thread titled Who fell the furthest from main eventing one mania to the next. I mentioned Savage from 5 to 6 and you corrected me, and gave me facts about this mixed tag match that made me see Savage's spot on this card was not as bad as I had thought. I am curious to see if you remember that?

I can't say I specifically remember dicussing this with you personally (you and I usually agree on most things), but I do remember defending the match a couple times over the years.

I've got to say I'm surprised that just about everybody has agreed that the mixed tag match was the right match. I thought a lot more would dislike the match based on some past threads. Anyway, the point I was going to make to someone that disagreed is that a match doesn't always have to be technically strong as long as the the story is entertaining and the participants are playing their roles in a logical way. This match is a good example.

 

[Judah's Lion]

I've got to say I'm surprised that just about everybody has agreed that the mixed tag match was the right match. I thought a lot more would dislike the match based on some past threads. Anyway, the point I was going to make to someone that disagreed is that a match doesn't always have to be technically strong as long as the the story is entertaining and the participants are playing their roles in a logical way. This match is a good example.

after reading your response, and then reading and thinking about your next in the series Mania 1 main event thread, i can submit to your sound logic here. in fact, i may be a bit of a self-contradicting moron for saying that Mania 6 should have been 1 on 1 between Rhodes and Savage and then to say that Mania 1 main event was better as a tag match than as a 1 on 1 between Hogan and Piper.

yes, two totally different events but pretty similar concepts. i like the way you worded this Brain. the match "doesn't always have to be technically strong as long as the story is entertaining and the participants are playing their roles in a logical way." i'll make this my new motto and my answers for both this Mania 6 mixed tag match thread and the Mania 1 main event.